


Blinded

by born_of_the_dova13



Category: One Piece
Genre: All my Ocs are Assholes, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/F, Kidnapping, M/M, Neglect, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Tourture, douchebags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-08-19 03:24:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8187758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/born_of_the_dova13/pseuds/born_of_the_dova13
Summary: Zoro has been missing since the marine attack. The state the crew finds him in 3 months later is shocking. Zoro is a broken man. Will Sanji be able to find the pieces and Fix the swordsman? Or will Zoro stay shattered forever?UPDATE 10/10/17 I've decided to put this on hiatus. I'm not abandoning this forever. I'm just cutting down my workload a bit.





	1. Chapter 1

**Zoro's POV**

_I knocked on the door, trying to make the lump in my throat vanish, but my attempts were in vain. I opened the door of the galley to see a head of blonde hair sitting at the table._

_"What do you want , Marimo?" The voice asked. "There's no Sake if that's what your after." I wasn't after Sake. I was after something much more precious. I swallowed thickly and watched as the cook turned to face me, the moonlight acting as the only light illuminating the small galley of the Merry. I had resolved to do this. I wasn't about to chicken out now. My nervousness must've appeared on my face, or shown in my violently shaking hands that I hid behind my back, because the blonde titled his and and asked._

_"Marimo? What's the matter with you?"  My weary eyes glanced around the room, avoiding the blue gaze as much as possible. I took an intake of breath. Don't stall._

_"Sanji." I spoke. The lump must've been big because it came out as a choked whisper. I saw his expression, it was bad. It was shock. Mainly because I said his name but my paranoid mind buried that thought under a Tsunami of others. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see his face as he rejected me. I opened my mouth but no words came to me. I had this all planned out in my mind, why wasn't it playing out as I wanted then? The words I had scripted died on my lips as I cracked open my eyes and they dropped to my boots. Why was it so hard?_

_"I-I-I need to tell you this." I said. It was a silent plea to him that I could not voice. 'Listen to me, this is important and I need to you to not say anything.' it said. He somehow understood my cries as he nodded sharply and shut his open mouth, He was obviously going to say something._

_"I-I've never felt this way before. Not Robin, not Nami, not Tashigi, not Kuina. Nobody. So then, why am I feeling like this now?" I blurted. "Why? Why do I feel like this?"_

_"Zoro," my knees felt suddenly weak, just from my name dancing on the Cook's lips. "Are you in love?" He asked. I nodded, my throat feeling dry and parched. "May I ask who?" he asked. I wondered as I nodded 'why does he care? he would just flip me off and send me to the Crow's nest.'_

_"You." I choked out._

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I stood drenched in the battlefield. Bandanna covering my forehead, it's rough texture replaced with the sticky feeling of blood soaking it's black surface. Bodies of Marines lay around me, they were foolish to try to oppose me, even if i did use the back of my blades against them. Their attack kept coming, I couldn't keep knocking them unconscious, they would only rise to fight me again. The battle cries of my Nakama surrounding the air around me filled me with positive vibes, by positive I mean my version of positive. IE the urge to beat up more Marines. I saw the blonde cook, his ass in the air as he most likely killed 50 marines in a spinning handstand. My gaze locked onto the blonde as I check out my boyfriend. Yes, You heard, read?, me right Sanji~hopeless-womanizer~ Blackleg is gay. We had been together for around 2 months now, nobody knowing of us though. A weird gas leaked from the floorboards and my limbs felt heavy, the world began to spin and I hit the deck, hearing my lover call my name, I smiled as unconsciousness took a hold of me, locking me away from the world that he lived in.  

~timeskip~ 

I cracked open my eyes to a sight I had became used to being a pirate. I was in a dungeon. Neither light nor darkened vision can penetrate the gloom in this chamber. An unnatural shade fills it, and the room's farthest reaches are barely visible. Sat in the corner of the chilled room, I can faintly make out the sharp corners at each edge of the room but manage through he cracked darkness. The walls, painted red with blood, dried many years ago, connecting each corner forming a perfectly shaped square room. One way in and out, a wooden door always locked. The isolation was total and the stimulation was zero. No sound, no light, no furniture or cloth of any kind.  Thick cobwebs fill the corners of the room, and wisps of webbing hang from the ceiling and waver in a wind you can barely feel. One corner of the ceiling has a particularly large clot of webbing within which a man's bones are tangled.  A crack in the ceiling above the middle of the north wall allows a trickle of water to flow down to the floor. It pooled in a corner  I shivered, the air was thin, like when you walk out on a snowy day and the air is crisp with frost and cold of winter, but this was a bit different. The cold was weighted down by a background taste of dampness and dust. The stench was worse than the taste of the the air. It smelled like rotting corpses, I was right because near the room's center, you can just barely perceive a lump about the size of a human lying on the floor. Rats inside the room shriek when they hear the door open, then they run in all directions from the putrid corpse lying in the center of the floor. As these creatures crowd around the edges of the room, seeking to crawl through a hole in one corner, they fight one another. The stinking corpse in the middle of the room looks human, but the damage both time and the rats have wrought are enough to make determining its race by appearance an extremely difficult task at best. I looked up to see a man. 

He's wearing a clean shirt buttoned it up fully to support the graceful, perfectly tied, cravat he is adorning. On top of the shirt he's wearing a chic vest with 3 buttons, it has a fairly deep v-line, which causes the vest to line up perfectly with the ink black jacket's v-line when it's button up. The jacket fits him like a glove, a tailored glove. The 4 buttons of his double breasted jacket are all buttoned up, it's the best way to wear a jacket like this after all. The jacket is the same length all around, it has no vent, there's a pocket on either side and there's a breast pocket which has been left empty. He's wearing pants which have the same color as the jacket, but a slightly different pattern and they create a perfect balance with his shoes. He's wearing a lavish pair of polished black brogue oxfords. To top it all off he's wearing a classic belt, which can be accompanied by an ancient, and precious looking, golden pocket watch. He had the thinnest eyebrows imaginable, only visible because of his bone white skin that could rival Sanji's in paleness. Pale as a glass of milk, pale as the moon and stars , pale as the chalk cliffs of Dover in a full moon. A scratched voice wheezes, whines, whimpers,  like sandpaper against sandpaper, making comments that make a shudder roll down my spine. His nose was quite large, sitting above thin red lips that were barely a line on his bone-white skin. His slicked back hair was a ruby red, specks of brown littering here and there. Dark shadows under piercing eyes of palest icy blue, like a creature who's spent it's life in perpetual shadow. His eyes were like they were electrically charged. His eyes were intense, and unlike the rest of him they weren't at all expressive, they were cold, like ice. Most blue eyes are so captivating I swear that you could just dive into them with the peak of awe nipping at your facial features, but when I peered into his frozen irises I felt an electrical chill run down my spine, through my body making my features numb, like ice. But not the electric shock that paralyzed me or crawled under my skin and slithered in my muscles, but the kind that made my blood dance. Those were shifty eyes. Eyes you could not trust. Every tendril of various shades of incandescent striking white-blue staying lined up next to one and other making his eyes themselves seem like a white tundra, its as if a blizzard is eternally raging on with a black void in the center that are his pupils. They don't capture light, but defy it, they're so blue that they literally glow. But when he smiles sickeningly the eyes scrunch up and their glow is lost, turning into a vile indigo and the silver specs turn black, giving him the eyes of a demon. He was tall and muscled, his arms and legs perfectly proportioned for his body, his feet looked stumpy and awkward to walk on. But he had unnaturally long thin fingers, each like the tendril of a parasitic plant, reaching and searching. **(Sorry I got carried away with the descriptions.)**

"Well then." He sneered, "You must be hungry." I restrained the urge to nod, to give this sick man what he wanted. He would give me something vile, and watch me suffer eating it, but my stomach had other ideas, growling loudly. "Disgusting." He growled as he lashed me over the bare chest with his whip, which was laced with thorns, crossing over the scar I obtained from Mihawk. I felt the beads of blood form on my skin from the burning cut. 

"Why am I here?" I wheezed as I coughed up a bit of blood, he didn't' hurt me that bad, but malnutrition of, god only knows, time I was unconscious sure amplified the pain. He whipped me again, harder this time, my body reeling in pain.

"You will address me as Master. You have been here for just over 2 weeks now." He said as he turned up his nose at me. He grabbed a knife from his assistant and stalked over to my form. dread was building in my abdomen. he slid the knife along my forearm, I didn't flinch, weirdly it soothed me. I remember back at the dojo, after Kuina died, I cut myself. Sensei had found out and I stopped, with his help. So the pain didn't affect me. His face twisted in confusion at my expression of boredom, cold and still. He dug the knife in deeper, it still hurt but it didn't affect me as much as the thorny whip. Confusion etched more onto his face he asked.

"Why aren't you feeling pain like the whip?"

"I'm used to this." I answered him. he dug the knife deeper again. "Master." I added with a sneer.

"Your cremates abuse you?" He asked in a mocking tone.

"No." I spat. "Don't talk about them. You have no right." He huffed and grabbed a dagger. He span around once more and stabbed my stomach. This time I felt it. He must've put acid on it because It sung like fire lapping at my wound. He twisted the knife in my stomach and pain seared through my abdomen better than a branding iron, my mind conceding to the torment, unable to bring a thought to completion. Without meaning to my body curled into something fetal, something primeval and all the while the pain burned and radiated inside me. He laughed and pushed a bowl of something towards me. He was still chuckling as he descended the stone stairs and his voice gradually faded. The subsided a little and I grabbed the bowl. It was stew, It was a yellow-cream color with grey  chunks in it. I ate the meal, trying to convince myself it was chicken, but to no avail as I only threw it back up. Later that day he came back, armed with acids and iron bars and lighters.  I had found out that his name was Chaos Dread. That's what he called himself at least, his real name was Arc Blackwood.

Every day for three months he would come into my room and ask me about my crew, where were they? How powerful? I never told him, I bared the pain for them. Some wounds started to heal, but then they would just open up again. My throat hurt from screaming, I would get water once a week, food once a month. During the first month he tied a collar to my neck, attached to a chain. During the second month he put 6 dogs in the cage with me, they would bite me but I would normally kick them away. I was lucky if I got any sleep. Sometimes, if the drunk guard remembered, I would be allowed to shower and use the bathroom. Once I used that chance to run. I ran and ran through the streets of some town we were in, it was pitch black, as if someone shut out the lights on the world. I ran as fast as I could in my malnourished form. My legs ached from running. And I we put of breath. Damn I was out of shape. My bare feet slapped against the stone cobbles beneath me. Arc had noticed because I heard his shouts from behind me. Adrenaline coursed through my veins and I ran faster. He eventually caught up with me and two of his men grabbed me by the arms and poured a green liquid in my eyes. It stung, it burned, it ate away at my eyes, leaving them sightless and broken. I screamed in pain, thrashing about to get it out of my eyes, I felt them pour it on my chest too, that hurt, it burned and I knew it would be there for a while. I had ran quite far so the men stopped after transporting me. They fell asleep, idiots. I stood up and I walked this time, I held my hands out in front of me and walked the way to the town, or the way I thought at least. 

~TIMESKIP~

I clambered onto a boat at the docks in a town I found. The town was small but on the coast. It was a shame I couldn't see, I would've loved to see the crew again. I boarded the boat, It's build  felt much like Franky's work. I fell onto the grass deck and sighed. It felt so much like the sunny, the grass deck, the painted number 1 inside a wood circle the railings. I looked up and opened my eyes, forgetting the fact , that bastard Arc poured acid in my eyes, and I heard gasps. 

"Shit!" I whispered. I scrambled back, hitting my head on the railing. I curled up into a ball, with my hands over my head and knees tucked into my chest with closed eyes. Voices started to talk, faceless voices, but all too familiar.

"Zoro?" One asked, it sounded silky and masculine, full of concern but with a hint of relief.

"Zoro! You're hurt!" A squeaky voice exclaimed. I felt a pressure on my right arm, like something grasping it. I swung my arm out, hitting something as I crawled to the left. 

"Don't touch me." I growled, low and threatening, even though I could barely hurt a fly in this condition, never mind kill anyone.

"Zoro?" A female voice asked.

"Who are you?! And why do you keep saying my name like I know you?!" I exclaimed. "You guys work for that bastard Arc, don't you?! Tell him to go fuck himself!" Whispers floated around me.

"Do you not recognize us?" I looked up so they could see my face.

"I can't see you dumb ass." I spat. I heard a few giggles.

"You've got your eyes closed." One voice pointed out. I opened my eyes. looking around I saw nothing but black,the darkness engulfed me, and at that moment I knew. I would never be able to see them again.

"I'm blind." I announced, truly knowing it for the first time.


	2. Welcome home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY!!! Everything has been hectic lately with my real life. My house has been redone and my studies too! I've just had absolutely NO time to write. I apologies on my hands and knees! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**_Sanji's Pov_ **

_"You." He choked out._   

 _My eyes widened  and my heart beat faster as that one word made me realize. I'm was love with him. I then realized why he never left my mind, he was always there; mentally if not physically. It's just incomprehensible. He's my rival, the one I supposedly hate. But no he was one stable force, my one stability in a world filled with chaos and I so desperately need that in my life. I love him so much for that. I'm in love with him and I can't believe I've only just realized it._ _This feeling is so strange; it stretches throughout my whole body. It's so unbelievably alien to me, yet I've felt it so many times._

_No, I've never felt this before, not the way a single word from him can make my knees weak, nor the way him just standing near me can make my stomach do somersaults. It's overwhelming, yet makes me feel complete. It has no bound; no length nor depth. It is absolute. It feels as though I'm in a dangerous fire, yet I'm completely safe at the same time. It feels as though someone's given me peace. It feels as though my heart is dancing around my chest; and a hole, I was never aware was there, has been filled. I feel so light, like I'm on top of the world yet my heart is constricting and it feels as if there's no oxygen in my lungs. No woman has made me feel this way, yet one look from Zoro can make my face ignite and my heart leap._

_It's strange, how you can go from someone being a complete stranger, an annoying stranger, to you, to then being completely infatuated by them and wondering how it ever was that you were able to live without them, because I sure as hell couldn't imagine being without them now. I know we're only young, and most people would consider me to be foolish and naive, but it's true when I say that I love him more than I could ever love any woman. He's my rival and, as cheesy as it sounds, he's my anchor. My one stability in this world filled with chaos._

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_(Sanji's POV)_

I was sitting in galley. It was 11, Usopp was on watch humming in the crow's nest, everyone has retired to their dorms, yet I was awake. I was awake, tea in hand just sitting, thinking in the large empty galley. The moonlight flooded through the open curtains, and I made eye contact with the sniper. He looks at me quizzically, yet worried. Ah, I know why he's worried. It's been 3 months since the marimo went missing and I've been staying awake all night most of the time. Bags hung low over my blue tired eyes as I stared at my reflection in the brown beverage. I looked weak, pitiful even. I was worrying myself sick. But how could I not, my boyfriend had vanished with no explanation and hasn't returned in three months. He could be dead for all I know.

I sigh as I tongue my unlit cigarette and I peek at the sniper once more. The moonlight's patterns on the table are an exact replica of that night. The night when everything changed between us changed, yet nothing felt out of place or weird and uncomfortable. I spotted the sniper working on some invention or whatnot, and I gave in to his look. Sighing I emptied my cup and headed to the male bunk room. The last thing I remember seeing outside was a scream. It was a yell of pain from the town. I saw two men doing something to another. I blinked and they were gone. I dubbed it the imagination of a tired mind and wandered into the bunk room, collapsing onto my hammock and letting sleep engulf me.

 ****TIMESKIP**** _(Sanji's POV)_

I woke up albeit a bit reluctantly, and made the breakfast for the crew. As I neared the end of my cooking Brook meandered into the galley and took a seat. 

"Good morning, Cook-san." he greeted me. 

"Good morning, Brook." I replied. He looked out of the window in the galley to watch to sun tip-toe out from under the blanket of darkness. 

"I'm happy that I get to see such a beautiful sunrise with my very own eyes." Brook commented. "That is if I had any eyes to see it with. Yohohoho Skull joke!" I chuckled. Everyone leaked into the galley slowly after Brook did, welcoming the smell of cooking that constantly floats around in the galley. Lunch was it's normal hectic affair, Luffy stealing anything and everything tangible and edible. Behind the smiling face everyone knew, everyone asked each other silently.  _'What if Zoro doesn't come back?'_ It was at the back of everyone's mind, always lingering, like the hollow void that was lingering in the galley. The absent constant fighting of the couple left an uncomfortable silence over the ship.

"It's going to be sunny today." Nami announced over Luffy's and Usopp's fighting.

"Well then, I think we can have lunch on the lawn, since Nami-swan is never wrong!" I praised the ginger, smoke hearts floating all around me. Everyone agreed that Lunch outside would be a good idea and slowly people left the galley and when it only myself and the charm of the violin floating amidst the shouting and singing. 2 hours later I walk out onto the deck to serve the morning snack for the crew, but when I walked down onto the grassy deck I realized that the ship had fallen into a stunned silence. Looking around, my visible eye started to water at what I saw. 

_I saw Zoro._

_Alive._

My body froze and a lump formed in my throat. I shook myself out of it and looked at the mosshead this ship had missed for three long and painful months.

"Zoro?" I croaked out barely, nearly dropping the plate.

"Zoro! You're hurt!" A worried Chopper exclaimed.

"Don't touch me." He growled, low and threatening, he swung to his right and hit chopper in his haste to get away.

"Zoro?" Nami asked.

"Who are you?! And why do you keep saying my name like I know you?!" Zoro exclaimed. "You guys work for that bastard Arc, don't you?! Tell him to go fuck himself!" Whispers of the other crew members floated around me. I was stunned, he couldn't remember us.

"Do you not recognize us?" I asked, He looked up so we could see his battered, bruised and bloody face.

"I can't see you dumb ass." He spat. I nearly sighed.

"You've got your eyes closed." Usopp pointed out. He opened his eyes. 

"I'm blind." He announced. That's all it took, two words, it took two words to shatter my heart in front of me. The plate tumbled from my grasp like the tears from my eyes.

"Y-you're blind?" I stuttered. He jumped a bit, weary of any and every noise he heard, but nodded all the same. He looked, or he turned his sightless eyes, towards me. His normally green eyes weren't eyes anymore, they were just orbs. You were unable to tell pupil from Iris, they were a sickening shade of black, if that was possible. They looked as if someone held him down and poured acid in his eyes... It was then when I realized;

_That was Zoro I saw last night._

"That was you?" I whispered. A wave of guilt over powered me. I could have saved him from whatever terrible pain that was inflicted on him. 

"Where am I?" He asked, I could have laughed, I could imagine him asking himself that  questions when he was lost. But he's never been lost this way before, he's never asked someone  _else_ this because he was too stubborn. He was always able to find his way back home. _But now he can't because he doesn't know what home is anymore._  

"The Sunny, you're on the Sunny, Zoro." Luffy answered, all serious, that Luffy gave me the chills sometimes. I looked up from my shoes, which I didn't notice that I was looking at, to see Zoro sitting with Luffy's hat on his green-haired head. I wanted to cry. I wanted to cry tears of happiness, yet I wanted to cry tears of guilt. His expression turned from one of confusion and fear to a one of peace and relief. Chopper approached the other man cautiously, holding his bag of medical supplies. He asked if he could examine Zoro since he was covered in wounds, and he said he could smell an infection starting. The swordsman agreed a bit reluctantly  and Chopper proceeded to probe my boyfriend and drain him of most of his blood for 3 hours before anyone could see him.

*After Chopper's tests* (Zoro's POV)

My arms ached, my head ached, all my scars ached, everything ached. I was dizzy and tired and blind, and weak and pitiful. The pain still radiates around me, but I'm filled with a feeling I haven't felt in so long. Peacefulness, the feeling of protection, the feeling of being able to sleep for more than an hour before another thorned whip pierced my already bleeding skin. But the feeling I wanted to feel so much, was love. I wanted to love Sanji, and all my Namaka once more. I wanted the feeling of lips placed on mine, of arms around me, of the warmth that was  so painfully obvious and absent during my three month torture. Anything that even distantly connect to that time sends me into a wave of emotions, and memories I would would more than happily forget. I was malnourished, beaten, electrocuted, burned by fire and acid alike, and blind. _Blind._ That is what haunts me the most. Th fact that I will never be able to see my crew again. Sure I can see memories of them, but I can't _see_ them. That is my biggest regret. The door is closed and I smell food, proper food not the grey chunks, that I tried to convince myself were chicken, I was fed in there. Three knocks startled me, even though I could smell whatever the person was carrying, I was still getting used to normal noises.

"It's Sanji." The voice announced. I answered and swallowed, I knew whatever he held was going to be the best thing I've ever tasted. His clicking footsteps grew near, I shook my head to get rid of the dread and fear that was building up. "Hold out your hands." He commanded. I nodded and did as I was told. A hot bowl was placed in my grasp. I gulp expectantly, I bring the bowl to my lips and the delicious soup pours over my tongue, soft potatoes being crushed against the roof of my mouth. I savored the taste, it's creamy texture and the spices mixed with herbs to create a perfectly balanced meal that made my taste buds dance. I felt as if a candle had lit up inside me, all I could think was 'tasty!' I held the bowl on my lap, but didn't give it to the man next to me. I could only tell he was there because of the sound of his breathing. I felt hands on mine and my breathing hitched, but I realized Sanji was only taking the bowl from my hands. The cook lent towards me and I me his lips with mine, he wasn't expecting it but I didn't take. Neither did he it seemed, he took the bowl and placed it some where else, finding himself preoccupied with weaving his nimble fingers through my hair. I wrapped my arms around him neck and he licked my lips, I greedily opened my mouth and our tongues engaged in a battle just as fierce as our regular fights. My chest swelled as Sanji kissed me. Before I savored his smokey taste he pulled away, and that was when I realized I was out of breath. 

"I love you, Zoro." The cook beside me breathed.

"I love you too, Sanji." I answered back. 

"Get some sleep." He ordered. I nodded, finding sleep the easiest thing I could do.

"I'm home." I whispered. I heard a faint, 'Welcome back' before my mind melted and dreams danced with my lost consciousnesses. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it was worth the wait! starting from now ALL comments are going up on my wall!


	3. What's that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about not updating this in a while, I've had a lot of writer's block, so yeah...it's really crappy and short but, hey it's an update! I've created a schedule, so I'll stick to that and Updates should be up more regularly. Usopp is a bit OOC in the beginning, It's my first time writing with Usopp, not in a fight. Anyway, Enjoy.

_Sanji's POV_

_The ship lurched beneath us, swaying side to side. The sound of waves crashing and breaking soothes me, being raised on the ocean and all. I look at Zoro from my position on his chest, he looks so peaceful when he's asleep. The furrow in his brow is gone and eternal scowl fades. I find it amusing, how such a fearsome, strong man can look this cute when he's sleeping. I chuckled. The vibrations from my laugh myself looking into emerald eyes.  
"Good morning sleeping beauty." I joked. He didn't smile, he tried to pout but failed miserably. He just placed his head on my chest and snuggled impossibly closer, with strong tan arms around my waist. I looked down and threaded my fingers through soft green hair. I heard a low groan that could count as a purr went straight to my groin.  
"Oh, the Marimo like being petted like this?" I mocked as I rubbed behind his ear softly. Another purr, "I swear you could double as a cat."  
He pouted. "Shut up." Another purr. He nipped at my bare neck and I let out a squeal of delight.  
I rubbed behind his ear again. Another purr.  
"Guys go to sleep I don't want to have to go through **that** again!" Usopp wailed from next to us, a pillow in our faces. We laughed, but a murmur of,  
_ _"Is it illegal to kill people?" Shut the sniper up. With a last amused purr from the swordsman lulls me to sleep._

I sat on the bed, with help, I couldn't do anything without help. I felt something hot in my hand, the panic rising in my chest must have shown, for Usopp put a hand on my shoulder and tried to calm me down. Not used to friendly touch I jerked away, dropping the hot bowl of soup to the floor. I heard a crash and scrambled to the side, landing on the floor with a harsh thump.  
"Whoah! Zoro, calm down, it's me, Usopp." He said in worried, cautious tone. My head snapped up.  
"U-Us...opp?" I asked quietly.  
"Yeah, sorry about that."  
"W-What happened?"  
"I gave you a bowl of soup and you panicked, I put my hand on your shoulder and you jumped after the bowl smashed on the ground." He explained. I looked down, well, as much as I could, being trapped in eternal darkness and what not. I faced what I think was the ground.  
"Sorry, sir," I mumbled quietly.  
"What was that?" He asked. I curled in on myself slightly, waiting for the pain.  
"I said I'm sorry," I put my hands above my head to shield myself from any attacks as much as I could. "Please don't hit me."  
"Hit you?" The man asked I didn't recognise his voice anymore, too into my flashback to hear him properly. I just sat there.  
"Zoro, why would I hit you?" I felt a hand on my arm. I yelped and I swung, hitting something. My eyes widened.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to touch you, please don't get the whip," I mumbled.

~Flashback~  
 _"No! Please! Don't! Stop! I won't steal any more food! I won't break anything! I won't touch you without permission! I promise! Please! stop!" I screamed, scrambling to get away. His grin only grew, cold dead eyes gleaming with mischief as he took large steps towards me. I whined as he hit me, brass knuckles making their mark on my skin. I could feel the bruises forming, blood mixing with sweat and salty tears. My throat was raw from screaming and wailing.  
_ _"Fucking pathetic." He spat. "The once unbreakable Rononoa Zoro reduced to a measly crying baby."_

~In the infermary~ (Usopp's POV)

Incoherent words and sentences managed to escape Zoro's throat, broken wails and cut off screams there too. I just stood there, watching him I had absolute no clue what to do.  
"Zoro, Zoro, wake up." I called out to him "It's ok, You're on the sunny. It's me, the great captain Ussop!" He wasn't responding. I looked around, everyone was at dinner. _'Screw dinner.'_ I thought. I pressed a button labelled 'galley' and then a beep announced they could hear me.  
"Chopper, Zoro needs help." I wanted to scream, yell his name, but Chopper said loud noises could trigger another flashback or a seizure.  
"Fucking Pathetic." I heard Zoro murmur from his position on the bed, curled in on himself head in between his knees, arms protecting his head. The small reindeer almost broke through the door with his momentum.  
"Don't touch him." He warned, a serious high-pitched voice echoing throughout the room. I wasn't going to, if I did, I'd break my hand.

~Zoro's flashback.~

_"Well then Roronoa, you've been so lonely for this past month, how about some company?" He asked. I didn't like the sound of his sandpaper voice, but this was different, it sounded like he was gloating of his power like he had the deadliest poison in his grasp. At the snap of his fingers, 6 dogs plodded into the room, saliva gathering in their mouths at the sight of a meal. Me. I shook in fear, as one dog launched at me, intending to bite my neck. In craned my neck and bit the dog, it gave a human-like yelp of pain. The dogs didn't sound like starved canines, they sounded like worried people, their words blurring together and buzzing in my ears like frenzied static. The pang of copper filled my mouth, and I reeled back, and gasped, tears streaming down my face.  
"Zoro." I heard the smooth Baritone of the cook say. I looked forward to see the blonde standing there, a smile on his face. "It's ok, you're on the Sunny."_

He held out his hand, I grasped it and then I saw everyone. I sat on the infirmary floor, holding the Cook's hand gently in my own he sat on my left, Chopper was tending to a bleeding bite on Usopp's hand to my right, Robin stood behind the doctor, brook, Franky, Nami standing beside her, Luffy wandered over to me, putting his beloved straw hat on my head, toothy grin placed on his face as always.

As suddenly as it had appeared the scene changed, I was sitting on the grassy deck, my Nakama dancing around a small fire a few metres in front of me, smiling, singing, and generally happy. Chopper stopped jumping with Luffy and Ussop and everything turned serious.

"Zoro, come back to us." They all said in unison.

~End flashback~

Everything was pitch black, that's just how it was now, forever. I felt a kitchen-calloused hand grasped tightly in my own. _'What was that?'_ I thought _'Did, I_ see?' I gulped, turned to my right.  
"Is everyone ok? I can smell blood." _'Taste it too.'_  
"Y-Yeah, fine."  
"Uh, dinner will be getting cold, I'll go whip something up for the Marimo," Sanji announced from my left where he was massaging my hand in his palms. Everyone murmured their agreement and then at the mention of Sanji's cooking I suddenly felt incredibly hungry. A half hour later I had a bowl of potato soup resting in my hands, carefully this time. After Chopper cleaned the blood from my mouth I enjoyed the creamy concoction.

 


End file.
